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Designing Gestural Interfaces--New from O'Reilly: Touchscreens and Interactive Devices: Tap is the New Click

Sebastopol, CA—Only six years ago, the gestural interfaces introduced in the film Minority Report were science fiction. Now, because of technological, social, and market forces, we see similar interfaces deployed everywhere, from Nintendo's Wii, to the iPhone, to Microsoft's Surface. But how do you create products for this new paradigm? What do designers and developers need to know to design for interactive gestures?

In Designing Gestural Interfaces (O'Reilly, US $49.99), Dan Saffer has created the definitive guide to getting started in interaction design. An internationally known thought leader on design, Saffer covers kinesiology, sensors, ergonomics, physical computing, touchscreen technology, and new interface patterns—all you need to know to augment your existing skills in "traditional" web design, software, or product development.

"The next several years will be seminal years for interaction designers and engineers who will create the next generation of interaction design inputs, possibly defining them for decades to come," explains Saffer. "We will design new ways of interacting with our devices, environment, and even with each other. We have an opportunity that comes along only once in a generation, and we should seize it." Creating this new era of interactive gestures is what Saffer's book is about.

"I wrote this book because, on my third gestural interface project, I was frustrated that I could find only bits and pieces of information about a subject—this subject—that was obviously important and growing rapidly," says Saffer. "Why wasn't there a book about these things? I groused. How come I have no idea how big a touchscreen button needs to be? What is a capacitive touchscreen? What kinds of gestures can I use?"

Get an overview of technologies surrounding touchscreens and interactive environments

Learn the process of designing gestural interfaces, from documentation to prototyping to communicating to the audience what the product does

Examine current patterns and trends in touchscreen and gestural design

Learn about the techniques used by practicing designers and developers today

See how other designers have solved interface challenges in the past

Look at future trends in this rapidly evolving field

"Saffer shines a light on one of the most important human-technology paradigms of the 21st century: using our bodies as input devices. This book is an essential reference work for anyone looking to advance human-technology interactions beyond dials, knobs, keyboards, and mice."
– Nathan Moody, Design Director, Stimulant

For a review copy or more information please email kathrynb@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.

Dan Saffer is an experience design director for Adaptive Path who has designed and built websites, applications, and devices since 1995. An international speaker and author, his acclaimed book Designing for Interaction has been called "a bookshelf must-have for anyone thinking of creating new designs" (Jared Spool, CEO of UIE) and has been translated into several languages.

Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see the catalog page for Designing Gestural Interfaces.

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